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ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Heartland Express's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $-19.3 Mil.
Heartland Express's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $1,186.3 Mil. Therefore, Heartland Express's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -1.63%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Heartland Express's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
HTLD'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -4.15 Med: 8.04 Max: 10.28
Current: -3.46
During the past 13 years, Heartland Express's highest ROA % was 10.28%. The lowest was -4.15%. And the median was 8.04%.
HTLD's ROA % is ranked worse than 89% of 1009
companies
in the Transportation industry
Industry Median: 3.49
vs HTLD: -3.46
Heartland Express (NAS:HTLD) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue data.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
Heartland Express ROA % Related Terms
Heartland Express ROA % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Heartland Express's ROA % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Trucking subindustry, Heartland Express's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Heartland Express ROA % vs Transportation Industry
For the Transportation industry and Industrials sector, Heartland Express's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Heartland Express's ROA % falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Heartland Express (HTLD) has a ROA % of -1.63% as of Mar. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #898 out of 1009 companies in the Transportation industry, placing it in the top 89%.
Is Heartland Express' ROA % too high?
Heartland Express' current ROA % is -1.63%. Based on the distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #898 out of 1009 companies in the Transportation industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Heartland Express has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Heartland Express' ROA % compare to CVLG and MRTN?
According to the Transportation industry distribution chart, Heartland Express ranks #898 out of 1009 companies for ROA %. This places Heartland Express in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROA % is 3.49. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROA % for a Transportation company?
The median ROA % among Transportation companies is 3.49, based on 1,009 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Heartland Express and its competitors. For the Transportation industry, the median ROA % is 3.49 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Heartland Express's current ROA % is -1.63%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Heartland Express stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heartland Express (HTLD) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $7.98, compared to a current price of $15.30 — trading 91.7% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is -1.63%. Heartland Express' overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Heartland Express (HTLD), the current ROA % is -1.63% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Heartland Express (HTLD) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heartland Express stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $15.30 is trading 91.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $7.98.
GuruFocus considers Heartland Express to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for HTLD:
ROA %: -1.63%
GF Value™: $7.98 vs. price of $15.30 (91.7% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HTLD stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Heartland Express Inc, along with its subsidiaries, operates as a short, medium, and long-haul truckload carrier and transportation services provider. It mainly provides nationwide asset-based dry van truckload service for shippers across the United States, along with cross-border freight and other transportation services offered through third-party partnerships in Mexico. The group operates under the brand names of Heartland Express, Millis Transfer, Smith Transport, and CFI (for services within Mexico).
60GF Score
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